Eataly confirms opening of huge London food hall this month

The world's largest Italian restaurant and food hall group is to make its long-awaited London debut later this month.

Eataly's 42,000 sq ft site next to Liverpool Street Station is described as an "Italian food haven", with restaurants, takeaways, bars, London's "biggest Italian wine cellar", a cookery school and cheese laboratory.

Over 5,000 food products will be available from an in-house butcher and fishmonger and cured meat and cheese counters.

The La Terrazza di Eataly restaurant will open for outdoor dining from 29 April, serving Italian sharing dishes, cocktails wines and beer, while the food hall's ground floor will offer Roman-style pizza, freshly made pasta and panini, focaccia and salads to takeaway.

Eataly's two indoor restaurants, Cucina del Mercato and Pasta e Pizza, will open on 20 May, alongside the in-store bars and seating areas. Terra, the hall's fine dining restaurant, is expected to launch in September.

Eataly chief executive Nicola Farinetti said: "We are delighted to finally open our Eataly London doors to bring our love of Italian gastronomy to the UK at a time when consumers and hospitality professionals appreciate and need it the most.

"Eataly was founded with a vision to bring the biodiversity, craft and different layers of culinary experiences of Italy together under one roof, under our motto of ‘Eat, Shop, Learn'."

Eataly was first confirmed to be opening in the UK in 2018. The food hall group was founded in 2007 and now runs over 40 stores across 15 countries.